


Persuasion

by WestEndBroadwayBaby



Category: NCIS
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 00:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9097462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WestEndBroadwayBaby/pseuds/WestEndBroadwayBaby
Summary: They have just closed a big case, but Tony and Tim are curiously subdued.  Can Abby get them to work it out together?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Musichick2004](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musichick2004/gifts).



> Prompt: Tim making nice with Tony after being a butthead (either during Gibbs's 'retirement' in Mexico, or some other time when McGee talked down to Tony or participated in Tony bashing). Abby is involved somehow, either as the catalyst to make him do better, or as a confidante for one of them.
> 
> Does this count as "Tim making nice"? Let's hope so.

Abby burst into the bullpen with a large hand-decorated box, making a beeline for Tony's desk. "Here you go!"

"Abs? What is this?" Tony's uncharacteristically subdued reaction contrasted starkly with Abby's usual high level of enthusiasm.

"The brownies, Tony! Remember? I told you that I'd make the team my super secret brownies if you caught the evil scientist. And you guys did! And then you and Timmy even got him to confess! And you _know_ that I keep my word, especially with something like this. So here they are! Have a brownie!" 

Abby paused for a breath. Tony smiled softly at her, but did not make any move to take a brownie.

"Tony? What -"

Abby was cut off by the Director, who was striding purposefully toward the bullpen followed by the SECNAV and Gibbs.

"Agent DiNozzo, Agent McGee. Secretary Jarvis wanted to thank you personally for your contributions on the Miller case. That was excellent work, particularly in Interrogation last night."

Tony and McGee both stood and politely thanked the Director and the SECNAV, shaking their hands. Abby, who had quickly stepped backward to Ziva's desk, watched with interest. The group exchanged a few more words, and then Gibbs, Tony and McGee quietly headed back to their respective seats. Abby returned to her lab without saying anything further.

Twenty minutes, later, McGee's phone rang.

"Abs?" McGee listened for a moment before responding. "You want to know if I have twenty-five minutes?" McGee looked up questioningly at Gibbs, who nodded almost imperceptibly. "Sure. I'll be right down."

Tony stared at his screen as he headed off to Abby's lab, pointedly ignoring McGee. Gibbs kept on working silently.

Eleven minutes later (not that Tony would ever admit to having been watching the time), Tony's phone rang. 

"Hi Abs." Tony paused to listen. “Do I have fifteen minutes?” With raised eyebrows, Tony looked over at Gibbs, who sighed and nodded. “I’ll be right there.”

With a quick “Thanks, Boss,” Tony was on his way down to Abby’s lab.

~~~~~

Abby was standing at her computer when Tony got to the lab, but he could tell that she had been watching and listening for his arrival rather than working. Abby ran over and hugged Tony, before putting an arm around him and walking him to her office at the back of the lab. Once they were a few steps away from the doors to the office, Tony could see Tim on the futon inside, keeping very still and looking straight ahead.

Tony tried to stop, but Abby firmly pushed him into the office. Tim watched silently from his seat on the futon. 

“Abs, what – “ Tony was cut off when Abby pressed her right index finger to his lips. She motioned to the spot beside Tim on the futon. Tony reluctantly sat, keeping as far away from Tim as was possible on the small futon.

Abby addressed them both as she towered over them. “I don’t know what has happened with you two, but it’s obvious that _something_ has happened. You should be celebrating your successful closure of the Miller case, but when I brought you brownies this morning, you were acting like fighting siblings, not lovers who’ve been together for almost three years.”

Tony and Tim both remained silent, avoiding Abby’s gaze and also pointedly ignoring one another. 

“You have a few more minutes before Gibbs expects you back, and I can talk to him if you need a little longer. But for the next ten minutes at least, I want you both to stay on that futon and actually _talk_ to each other. And to _listen_. The two of you mean too much each other – and to me – for you to waste what you have together.” She paused. “Understood?”

They answered in unison, if somewhat unenthusiastically. “Yes, Abby.”

“Ten minutes! Don’t you dare come out of here any sooner!” With that, Abby strode out into the far end of her lab.

~~~~~

For the first minute after Abby left, Tim and Tony remained silent, still avoiding any interaction with one another.

It was Tim who finally broke the silence, speaking softly and very seriously. “Ever since you didn’t come to bed last night I’ve been running through everything that happened yesterday to try to figure out why you’re upset. And I think I know now, and I want to talk to you about it, but can you please promise me that you’ll hear me out, and then respond to what I have to say?”

Tony stayed still for a few moments, and then turned to Tim and nodded. To Tim’s surprise, Tony looked vulnerable. The two had long ago reached a point at which Tony was comfortable truly being himself with Tim, but Tony nevertheless rarely showed any signs of weakness.

After acknowledging Tony’s nod, Tim started to speak softly, looking straight ahead and away from Tony. “So as far as I can see, everything was fine during the investigation. In fact, it felt really right: I got to explore some really interesting technical angles while you were instinctively able to piece together parts of the puzzle – and in the end, we found our guy.”

Tim continued. “I think that it was the interrogation that got you upset, when we were tag-teaming.” He paused. “I said some pretty mean things to you in the context of that, and I’m worried that you may think that that’s how I really feel. But it’s not how I feel at all.”

Tim risked a quick glance at Tony, who was now staring at him as though trying to analyze him.

Tim went on. “I tried to get our suspect – our _terrorist_ – on side by playing to his arrogance and social isolation. The only way of doing it – or at least the only one that I could think of _that I could actually pull off_ – was to act like a smugly superior science nerd.” Tim looked at Tony and shrugged. “I have some experience at the science nerd part.” 

Finally looking Tony in the eyes, Tim continued before Tony had a chance to respond. “I said some really awful things in there, calling you a dumb entitled jock and acting as though you were too stupid to possibly understand the science behind the attacks. And what makes it worse is that it was on the record. But I was just trying to get him to open up to me – and actually, much as I absolutely hated it, it also had the effect of pissing you off so much that he was absolutely terrified of you.” 

Tim took a quick breath. “But terrorist or no terrorist, I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself if I hurt you. I love you, Tony. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before. And I have learned so much from you, about this job and about everything else in life. I don’t think I could have handled the interrogation at all without all the stuff that you’ve taught me. So it would really be horrific if I drove you away using the skills that I'd got from you." Tim paused quickly again. "I want to keep learning from you, and I certainly want to keep on loving you. So can you forgive me?”

When he was done, Tim put his hand down on the futon in the space between the two, as if not quite trusting that Tony would be happy to be touched. He left his hand there.

Tony considered Tim’s words for a few moments before speaking. 

“What you said really did hurt, you know.” Tim immediately nodded in agreement. “Especially given the audience. And because of what the two of us have together, you know just how to push my buttons. But that being said, it worked, and it even got us a personal thank-you from the SECNAV, so you were clearly doing something right.” A hint of a smirk appeared on Tony's face. “So I guess I need to get my head out of my ass and start taking credit for our incredible interrogation!” 

In other circumstances, Tim might have rolled his eyes at Tony's last sentence, but this time he was just incredibly relieved to see the old Tony returning. “Does that mean that we’re good?, ” he asked tentatively.

“Yeah, we’re good.” Tony reached out for Tim’s hand, which was still resting on the futon, and squeezed it tightly.

Tim smiled, before flashing Tony a wicked grin. “So, thinking about other things that you can teach me….”

Just then, Tony caught a glimpse of Gibbs walking into the lab. Abby was delaying him, but the rest of his suggestion to Tony would have to wait until they got home that night.


End file.
